My name is Kathy and I am studying to be an elementary school teacher. Currently, I am taking a Math for Elementary Teachers class (MATH 1510) for which I will be posting topics for discussion. I invite my fellow classmates and any other interested bloggers out there to join me. One of my biggest goals as a teacher will be to help my students find math engaging and meaningful. I think it can be done and I hope that some of the discussion can touch upon this.

Monday, July 18, 2011

NOT REALLY CHEATING...

Sometimes I find myself looking for some sort of a “cheat sheet" (for lack of a better term because it is not being used for cheating) that will sum up all I need to know in one place. This holds true when trying to organizing my brain around what I should be thinking about when I teach math, especially from the angle of teaching it effectively and making it relevant to my students. I believe I may have found a good summary, thanks to Jennifer Suh, assistant professor of mathematics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia and her article “Tying it all Together: Classroom Practices that Promote Mathematical Proficiency for all Students”.

I find this article very resourceful for thinking about teaching mathematics because it outlines the National Research Council’s “Five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency” and goes on to discuss what the author coins “Modeling Math Meaningfully”. This modeling is illustrated with a great graphic known as “Lesh’s Translation Model”. When I look at these three things, I feel like I have gathered a "cheat sheet" for my future teaching. This article sums up so much of what I have been learning about how to teach math in a way that is meaningful and purposeful.

Of course, "cheat sheets" are not meant to take the place of a real understanding of the content, which I feel I do have. The Five Strands of Mathematical Proficiency include conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, strategic competence, adaptive reasoning, and productive disposition. Basically, if you read the article, you will notice how these strands involve the learning of mathematical ideas, the skills in carrying out math procedures, the ability to apply those skills to solving math problems, the ability to make sense of what is learned via reflection/explanation/justification, and the attitude that math is personally useful/valuable/learnable. I can see the value of setting up my classroom and designing my instruction in such a way that each of these strands are hit upon.

Also of value to my future teaching is Suh’s “Modeling Math Meaningfully” activity. This is an activity where students model their math understanding in each of five modes. You will see these modes illustrated in the article via Lesh’s Translation Model. They include (not in any set order, for their uses can be intertwined) using real life situations, pictures, verbal symbols, written symbols, and manipulatives. In order to demonstrate understanding students explain their math through writing numbers, verbal explanations, drawing pictures, using manipulatives, and writing real-life stories or situations where the problem can be applied.

The article also has an example of a very useful rubric and graphic organizer.

Out of curiosity, and as a side note (because I always like to add side notes), I decided to Google “math cheat sheets for students". Of course I would never let students rely on these without understanding the deeper concepts behind the math, but perhaps they could be useful at the right time (maybe in developing fluency) in their learning. Here are some links.

P.S. If any bloggers out there can come up with a better term than "cheat sheet" (because it is not really cheating) I am open to suggestions. Resource Sheet? Summary Sheet? Any creative ideas out there?

Followers

Blog Archive

About Me

A Bit About Me - I live in western Wisconsin with my husband, son, chocolate lab, calico cat, and two Russian tortoises. We also have two older daughters - one who is getting married in August! I like to bike, hike, camp, and generally be outdoors. I also enjoy reading, painting, making collages, and creating "stuff." My undergrad degree is in visual arts but I have always had this lingering notion that I wanted to be a teacher, which is why I am currently in grad school pursuing my initial license in elementary education. I think I came to this realization through volunteer work in our community and the local schools...and through the realization that I feel most inspired and energized when I am working with young people of all ages. One of my experiences has been coaching Destination Imagination, an awesome school-sponsored creative-problem-solving program. I will be student teaching in the fall and hope to find a teaching position in the near future.